CASE STUDY

Low-Profile Heavy-Duty Pallet Conveyors for Generator Assembly

Customer
Generator Manufacturer (New manufacturing facility)

Application
Heavy-duty pallet conveyor system for generator assembly and testing operations

Challenge

Our client was building a new manufacturing facility to increase their production capacity across multiple models of their commercial/industrial generators.

Based on existing facilities, the project engineers we worked with identified the need to provide workers greater access to inside the tall generator enclosures for assembly. This directly led to a maximum of 10” Top of Roller (TOR) height for many of the conveyor beds.

The generators weighed up to 7,500 lbs and protruded beyond the width of the pallet and conveyor edges, making conventional side-mounted or center-drive 3-phase motors impractical.

Additionally, they wanted to reuse existing 16" TOR equipment in other parts of the facility, necessitating flexible, modular solutions that could integrate seamlessly with both TOR height requirements.

Solution

Facility Functions, Inc. designed, engineered, and built three complete conveyor lines from scratch, each tailored to the client’s specific workflow requirements

Line 1

All conveyors at 10" TOR. Pre-test cell conveyors fed into a test cell with five custom-built turntables, each rotating 180° (Clockwise and Counterclockwise) to transfer generators to dedicated test beds.

Post-test cell conveyors led to the final assembly line and worker stations. Light curtains and E-Stops were integrated into all workstation conveyor beds and 2D area scanners were fixed to opposite corners of each turntable to provide 360° of safety, stopping the rotation in the event any personnel entered the hazard area.

Lines 2 & 3

Designed for smaller generator models and compatibility with existing conveyor equipment. The pre-test and test cells were designed with a 16" TOR.

However, the post-test stations again required the reduced 10” TOR height to facilitate the final assembly tasks. So we designed custom lift tables capable of raising and lowering 7,500 lb generators from a 16” TOR height down to 10" TOR, and automatically transfer to the next work station.

Safety considerations remained the same as Line 1, but with the addition of an independent hydraulic system to augment the pneumatic air bags to prevent uncommanded lowering of the unit in the event of a power failure.

Key Design Features

24VDC Pallet Handling MDRs
Enabled low-profile, high-performance conveyor motion within the TOR constraints, providing plenty of torque and physical clearance underneath and on the sides of the conveyors.

24VDC 200W Motors and gearboxes
Facilitated the direct-drive, high-torque output required to power the turntable casters.
Low Profile Heavy Duty Lift Table
Combined pneumatic suspension bags and hydraulic cylinders to provide a strong, safe, and reliable system for achieving multiple TOR height requirements.

Custom frames and beds
Built-to-order for the client’s exact layout and assembly process. Each conveyor bed served as its own workstation, programmed into their ERP system for progress tracking and QA.
Automation & Safety
Safety I/O, light curtains, inductive photoeyes, and stack lights for workstation feedback. Turntables included mechanical overtravel limiters; every bed had E-stops for operator safety. 2D area scanners ensured safe turntable operations if workers got too close to the turntables during rotation or product transfer.
Heavy-duty capacity
Every conveyor bed was rated for the full generator weight, evenly distributed and at extremes, with speeds under 30 fpm and maximum throughput of 40 generators/day/line.

Results & Benefits

Ergonomics & Safety
Low TOR height allows operators access inside generator enclosures, reducing strain, potential injury, and lost production time.

Efficiency & Integration
Seamless communication with their ERP system ensuring smooth production flow, QA tracking, and workstation management.
Energy & Noise
24VDC drives provided safer, quieter, and greater energy-efficient operation compared to conventional 3-phase motors.
Flexibility & Modularity
Lift tables and modular conveyor beds allowed integration of both 16" and 10" TOR equipment, supporting future expansion and re-use of existing assets where management deemed necessary.

Why 24VDC Matters

24VDC MDRs were critical for low-profile design, delivering high torque in compact spaces, precise control for heavy loads, and enhanced safety. The system demonstrates that low-voltage conveyors can outperform conventional AC systems in ergonomic, energy, and operational flexibility for heavy-duty applications.

Conclusion

Facility Functions, Inc. provided their client with a turnkey, low-profile pallet conveyor solution that optimized worker safety, maintained throughput for heavy generators, and integrated seamlessly with existing equipment and the ERP workflow system. The result: a highly efficient, ergonomic, and future-proof assembly line capable of handling large, heavy generators safely and reliably.